This is my wife's first fish. It came with some flowers in a glass bowl. She removed the flowers and cleaned the bowl last night. Then put the fish back into the bowl. I didn't have the chance to explain to my wife that the water has chlorine in it. You need to let the new water sit for a day. Then most of the chlorine would burn off. So the poor little betta is swimming in a very clean bowl of water but had to adjust to the higher chlorine level. The fish spends most of his time towards the top of the tank kind of stuck to the side. I can go to the bowl and touch where he is hanging out and he will swim away quite fast. He is eating ok. My wife feed's very small amount's 2x a day. And the fish seems to eat a few pebbles each time and lets the other 3-4 pebbles float to the bottom.

I was hoping someone could tell me more about our specific Betta? What kind of Betta is ours? I also noticed all the other Betta pictures I find on the internet the fish are beautiful and have feathers that span out and are sort of fluffy looking. Our Betta is kind of scraggly looking. Is this from the tank change? Or is it just how this specific fish is always going to look.

I have been looking at the Petco website today and was thinking about picking up a new tank today. I have some idea's. What all do Betta's like to have in their tanks? I know they like warmer water, and not too much current. But a mild filter and maybe only run it once or twice a week would be helpful. Do they need a tank heater? Should I leave the light on in the tank most of the day? Or leave it off most of the time. The light would help with some heat. Our house is central air and the temp is usually between 72-75 degrees.

So my questions are:

1. What kind of Betta do we have?
2. What all should I buy to put into the tank?
3. Heater yes or no?
4. Filter 24/7 or turn it on 1-2x a week?
5. Tank suggestion?

1. Tail type: Veiltail, Sex: Male, Color: Not sure, looks turquoise
2. A heater, thermometer and some decor so he feels safe
3. Yes to heater if the water temp is below 77 degrees. Ideal is 78-82. Cold water could be the cause to why your betta looks "scraggly" or clamped
4. Filters not required for tanks < 5 gallons because it will not have a stable "cycle", which is why you have a filter to begin with. Tanks 5 gallons or more should have a filter running 24/7 unless you want to change mass quantities of water twice per week.
5. I suggest a 5 - 10 gallon tank because they are still fairly small, but large enough to "cycle", making it less maintenance after its established (one partial water change per week as opposed to 2 or more water changes per week in a tank <5 gallons). It can also be difficult to find a functioning mini-heater that won't overheat a smaller tank. 5 watts per gallon of water is sufficient.

Also work on getting a water dechlorinator like Seachem Prime (you only need 1 -2 drops per gallon of this stuff, its awesome!). Live plants are ALWAYS recommended but do require a little more research and maintenance (not much though). Make sure that when buying decor, it will not rip a betta's delicate, long fins. Test the piece by rubbing some pantyhose along it. If the pantyhose rips the ornament will rip the betta's fins. Sanding down the rough spots on an ornament can fix this problem, but most plastic plants will be harmful so stick to live or silk plants.

Bettas love to have soft plants to swim through and lay on.. some males absolutely love caves, and some don't.. so if you see yours hiding a lot in the plants you can get a cave for him down the road and more than likely he would love it. If he just swims nonstop, then I would just focus on plants and decor.

A heater is ideal, being tropical fish they prefer temps of 76*F+.. keeping the bowl in the warmer part of the house will help.. just keep in mind you don't want the temperature to fluctuate as that can cause them to go into shock. A healthy fish can withstand a few degrees, but you don't want them to constantly have to adjust. Can find "mini" Hagen Elite heaters for cheap, for smaller tanks (under 5g) a 25 watt would be fine.

A filter is optional, would just mean one extra water change a week if you choose not to use it. If you choose to go with filter then you will want to leave it on all the time. Turning it off for any long length of time (12hrs+) will cause the good bacteria to die off, and once you turn it back on the dead bacteria will then be pushed into the water which could cause your fish to get sick.

To me, depends on how much space you have.. for $11 more you will have 4 more gallons of tank, which means more decoration options, more swimming space, a little less cleaning, etc. Will also be able to find a heater a bit easier (can use a 25 - 50 watt) to fit it, etc. To me, size doesn't matter.. for for the price, $11 is worth the added gallons and decorating options lol.

He looks a bit clamped, probably stress from the water change and plants being removed.. so hopefully with a new set up he will relax and flourish for you and your wife :)

The second tank would be great, although you might want to check your local walmart as I saw them there for $20.

I say filter that is built in is ideal, run it all the time.
Heater is a must have, temp 79-80
thermometer
Don't forget the water dechlorinator
A live plant would be a nice touch
leave light on 10-12 hours a day if you do go live plant
do 50% water changes twice a week
small gravel
omega one betta pellets

P.S. : Almost ALL filter intakes are capable of sucking up and tearing a betta's fins, so please invest in some pre-filter sponges or secure some nylon around the intake. A carbon filter in a tank less than five gallons is really only useful to remove medications or other toxics that are known to be in the water. You will still need to perform 2 water changes weekly on a tank <5 gallons whether it has a filter or not.

Yeah I love it! The only thing I dislike is that it comes with an incandescent bulb but you can easily replace it with a compact fluorescent which are cheap! The filter works great but the current is a little strong, nothing a little baffling cant fix though. The pre-filter sponge I put on it also slows the flow a little bit.

Oh, and don't be put off by the cost of the replacement cartridges for the filter...the cartridges really shouldn't be changed once per month like they suggest because the cartridge is home to part of your beneficial bacteria colony...therefore replacing it can damage your cycle that you worked so hard for to establish!